Turkey and allied Syrian rebels have pressed on with Operation Olive Branch in the Kurdish-controlled Afrin enclave despite mounting international concern and reports of rising civilian casualties. Turkey and its Syria rebel allies launched Operation Olive Branch against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), on January 20. The Observatory says the Turkish operation has left 67 civilians dead so far, 20 of them children. Advancing fighters were facing “fierce resistance from YPG fighters holed up in the mountains, in spite of Turkey’s massive firepower,” said Abdel Rahman. The Observatory said that 85 YPG fighters and 81 pro-Ankara rebels had been killed in the fighting so far.

Source: Egypt Independent January 31, 2018 12:45 UTC